Yik Yak, the app of the moment, is a space where anyone can express their opinions without fear of exposure. It has become the center of college gossip and, in this case, the hub of conversations at Grand View University (GVU).
Yik Yak is an anonymous community app for college students that lets you post, comment and message with your campus. It is free to use and requires only an .edu email address to access a specific university community. This is not the first time that the app has gained popularity. It was previously available but shut down in 2017 because, as developers stated, “it grew faster than it could handle moderation.” Today, by requiring institutional email addresses, access is limited to verified students, making it easier to maintain a contained, campus-focused environment.
The posts, called “Yaks,” are anonymous, unless you want to reveal your identity. Posts can get upvotes or downvotes that work as likes and dislikes. If the post has “too many” downvotes, it will be deleted. This makes the Yik Yak community self-regulatory.
Although anonymity is the cornerstone of this app, it does not come without risks. Hiding behind a nickname makes it easier for people to post harmful content without the fear of social accountability or personal consequences. People trade community respect for some upvotes, often at the expense of a peer’s reputation.
Olivia Boyle, a sophomore at GVU, was indirectly involved in an upsetting Yak for her. During the so-discussed 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, somebody posted in our network asking if it was worse to watch the show or the women’s soccer team play. The Yak had a lot of interactions, and some of the comments were misogynistic, suggesting that women in sports should be kept underpaid “unless it’s professional sandwich making.”
As a member of the soccer team and a woman in sports, Boyle felt touched by similar comments.
“Women have really tried to build a name for themselves, especially with women’s sport, because it has always been an issue. I think it sucks because respect is a huge thing and if you can respect me enough not to say it to me in my face, why hide behind the screen?” Boyle said.
As Boyle points out, if someone would not say these things face-to-face, hiding behind a screen only amplifies the issue rather than encouraging honest conversation. Boyle’s reaction highlights the real-life impact of anonymous posts. While the comment may have seemed like a joke to the person who wrote it, it reinforced a lack of respect toward some of the women’s sports on campus.
“We are supposed to support other sports on campus, and it’s sad that it doesn’t get back to us. We don’t get supported as much,” Boyle said.
This behavior is not unique to GVU. According to Ovid, the world’s leading medical research platform, anonymity is a significant factor in online behavior, as individuals who perceive themselves as anonymous are more likely to develop positive attitudes toward cyberbullying and engage in it over time.
However, the author’s identity is not the only one being protected. First and last names cannot be attached to a Yak, avoiding private information from being shared online.
According to Addisyn Terpstra, a junior at GVU, this is a positive feature of the app, since it allows students to share opinions without the fear of their personal identity being exposed, creating a sense of security within the platform.
“I bet if we were able to say names and everything like that, I think this campus would be on fire because the amount of stuff that goes on that app is insane,” Terpstra said.
Her perspective highlights how anonymity can act as both a protection and a problem, giving students a sense of safety while also allowing harmful behavior to go unchecked.
Ultimately, Yik Yak gives students a voice, but it also tests how that voice is used. Anonymity does not take away the responsibility from GVU users towards the other members of the community. It reflects how students choose to treat one another and it proves that whether it becomes a space for connection or harm depends not on the platform itself, but on the people behind the screen.
